Aerial landing harp eor aeroplanes



2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mv *wiwi -N. A.'M=CULLYl AERIAL LANDING HARP FORAEROPLANBS Filed Oct 14 1925 y "l, WITNESSS wff@ Patented May 10,`1927'.

UNITED STATES NEWTON A. MCCULLY, OF ANDERSON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

AERIAL LANDING HARP FOR AEROPLANES.

Application filed October' 14, 1925. Serial No. 62,358.

My invention relates to apparatus `for safely receiving and securingaircraft upon landing, and, more particularly, to landing apparatuscapable `of receiving an aeroplane when landing in restricted areas orquarters, as, for example, on the decks of ships or on the tops ofbuildings, or Where an extensive, smooth, landing iield is notavailable.

rlhe objects of my invention are, among others, to provide landingapparatus of simple, inexpensive construction which may readily beinstalled and built without speciallyskilled labor; by which theaeroplane may be brought gradually to positive stop without thenecessity for complicated arresting mechanism; which may be suspended inthe air and neither in itself nor in any 0f its attachments create anyeddies or `disturbances of air currents; which does Inot require anabsolutely accurate approach within a very small area, the aeroplanehaving a relatively wide choice of area in which to eiiect its landing;in which dangers of capsizing the aeroplane or of turning it end overend are avoided, and in which the arresting of the aeroplane in a safe,upright position is insured when engaging the landing apparatus in anyportion throughout a wide area to enable landings at sea to be madewhile the ship or other support for the landing apparatus is rolling orpitching.

@ther objects of the invention are to provide a self-contained harp orhammock shaped landing apparatus which is of comparatively light weight;which consists of a few parts to be stored in a restricted space, andcan be rigged up as a unit and installed quickly on a war ship withoutinterfering with gunfire; which can be installed on any vessel withlittle alteration of existing arrangements; and upon which theaeroplanes may land during an engagement with the guns beneathcontinuing an uninterrupted lire, and from which the aeroplanes may bereadily disengaged, and lifted off by means of a boom, ready to repeattheir flights.

TVith these and other objects in view, which may be more fullyunderstood from the following descriptiomthe invention comprises theapparatus described inthe following specification and claims.

The various features of the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, which:

Fig. l is a somewhat diagrammatic side view of an apparatus embodying apreferred form of my invention as applied to the after or quarter deckof a war ship,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the landing apparatus shown in Fig. l, F ig. 2ais a detail showing an adjustable cable connection.

Fig. 3 is a plan view on a larger scale of the apparatus, the apparatusbeing shown foreshortened for the sake of compactness and clearness ofillustration,

F ig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the apparatus takenon line 4.4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken en line 5 5 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the apparatus taken online 6-6 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 7 is a front, vertical, view of an aeroplane and a section of theengaging portion ofthe landing, and,

Fig. 8 is a. corresponding similar view in cross section tlirough therear portion of the aeroplane.

In my present invention, the landing harp comprises a hammock shapedapparatus consistingof a number of gradually diverging, tightlystretched, wires or cables which the aeroplane engages by means ofdepending spaced hooks and, as it moves forwardly lengthwise of thewires, compresses or otherwise deflects the diverging port-ions of thewires or cables and is thus brought to rest. The gradually divergingcables of the landing apparatus are arranged in a single plane whichslopes slightly upwardly towards its forward end in order not only toprovide an inclined plane but also to clear the turrets of the ship, butwhich is otherwise approximately horizontal. The forwardly divergingends of the wires are secured to a transverse spar or spreader, whichmay be suspended from a mast of a ship, while the rear converging endsof the cables are rigidly mounted upon standards secured to the deck,this manner of supporting the cables thus permitting them to be mountedabove the guns,` turrets or other apparatus on the deck of the ship andto be tilted to compensate for the rolling of the ship. A su'fiiciemwidth of nest or series of cables is provided so that the aeroplane mayengage them throughout a relatively wide transverse area.

Referring more particularly to the accompauying drawings, the landingapparatus comprises a number of wires or cables l0 secured. in a ring l2anchored to the deck of a:

ship 14 lat the 4eXtreme after f end thereof or other suitable base andextending .forwardly over a horizontal support or rail 16 positionedathwa-rtshi-ps Aand sligl-itly atorwardly of the after anchorage orsecuring cleat for the wires. Asthe wires 'or cables extend over thesupport 16 they are-spread horizontally tljiereon'a-t Yevenly spaced-distances by means of spaced hooks 18 ,projectingupwardly fromt'hefsupp'ort or railand then extend torwardlyin single, upwardly'inclined-plane to, anderer a orwarchtransverse spreader -orjspfar 20.and each cablleis securedvby aturnbuclle to a ring" 22which intu'ruissecured preferably by a turn-buckle 56' -to Aa mast-bernd 57sccured'to` the mast 24 inany suitable` way, as by'bolts, at anysuitable height. 'l`liewtuinbucklc tors-eachY cable is illustratedin'Figs. 2a and 4, and the group oit' turnbu'ckles for the entire seriesvare designated by the reference T because of the 'limited space inthedrawin'gs. Iii-passing over the spar 20, the cables are spacedunitorinly thereon by'ni'e'ans of hooks 26 which are spaced at "greaterdistances apart than the'spacing ol the. hooks 18 on the supporterrail/16 'so `as to ca-'use the wires 1"() to diverge forwardly. l

To encage the wires 1()` "of theI landing )apparatus, an aeroplane 28fisprovided with a llat, transverse, rod oir bar '30 suspended horizontallyat a short distance below `the forward pafrt or the aeroplane 'andprovided at its ends with ydownwardly'and inwardlly curved hooks 32 Iand34, which, as the 'aeroplane drops onto the wires 'and moves lorwa'rdly, hook about a pair of wires 86 `and 38, respectively ofthe wires10. The real-I portion of the aeroplane s'also provided with ahorizontal or. rod 4"@ having down wardly and inwardly curvedhoolis '42and 44 at its ends spaced more closelyto each other to engage the rear,'co'nyerging, portions oli the wires '37 and '39. The horizontallylarranged hooked bars 'orfrods l30 `and 40 are braced to theaeroplanelby suitablegirde'rs to withstandthe strains 'and stresses towhichthey will be subjected.

As the aeroplanel lands on the vapparat-us, it drops onto the alterportion of the wires or cables 10 at about a distance trom the rearindicatedy aty the` number 46 in lthe, drawings, thehooks 32 and lyingimmediately out sise of a pair of nonadjacent cables or wires 'S6 and38, as clearly shown in the' drawing, vand thefhoolzs 42 and 44 vwillengalc'e a pair of nonadjacent inner 'cables 37 and `139, alsoas clearlyshown, the bars 30 and 40 resting upon said cables. Asfthe aeroplanemovesforwardly, th'e'ho'oks`32 and 34, and 42 and 44 fully engage ythe"cables as indicated .in Figs. 7 and 8, this ccnd'itionbeing reached asthe aeroplane reaches la position about on a line with the point marked48 in the draivings (Fig. As the aeroplane moves-forwardly from theline'48, the wires or cables '36 and 38 and 37 and 39 .being held.respectively at alliXed distance by the hooks 32 and 34 and 42 and44-are deflected from their gradually diverging spacing and are causedto'diverge `very sharply from the engagen'ientwith the hooks 32 and 34 ofthe aeroplane fm'ove'slorwardlyhot fonly increasj `ing;- the tensionotfthe lcables but also the Janggl'e 'ot theslope. which reactseaga/inst thc hoo-ks loit' fthe aeroplane. `Decelerathm Y*is causedprincipally, il* not' wholly by: the rearward for Lal-ter thrustproduced by this deflec- -tion oit the engagedwires. E`@frdiiiarily,thisrea-ctien should bringthe aeroplane to rest y'reaches la distance-ionaline-with the *number but :an aeroplane travelling 'at yan abnori'i 1lllanC-ling speed ymay ytravel somewhat tu er.14s-tbe,aeroplane*approaches fa ffdistance en a line with Ithe numberb2, the angle ol deflection or the wires or Y'cables 36 fand 38 becomesso A"giea'it `as to positively stopthe pla'n'e, thisysuddendelecticnbeinfg indicated bythe 'dot an'cl'lclash line 'offFifg-2As a lar'ge number 'ol 'supporting wires er fcableszfniay be provided nY'a moderate space, and asthe engagement oft' the y'outer or' ythev-aeropflan'e hooks with *any of the wires frein or between th'eoutermost wires of the apparatus will serve to hold `the plane on vtheapparatus, -a comparatively wide field or area ot choice for the1aeroplane to land en 'is provided. Moreover,

regardless of the angle at i'vhic'li'the aeroJ `rolling` `or'sidewisetilting. "The cables or wires lO'should be of suiti'cient strengthtowithstand 'the stress produced by 'the de fleeting' action o'f [theaeroplane, wires of inc'h diameter otllexible steel cable hav? ing '-abreaking' strength el twenty 'tons being suitable, `and the wires areprovided with tiirnbnclles to enable them to be brought to andmaintained at the proper tautn'ess. However, shonl'd a cable break orpart, theh'ools 'of the 'aeroplane will immediately "engage an'-`adjacent cable; Each cable separately, and 'the cables as a group,willalso be adjusted to theiproper degree oit ltautnessfby `rmeanslofthe turnbuckle `7c on leach Vcable fand the turnbuckle 54 vbetweenthe 'alter ring 12 fand the anchorage at or adjacent tothe ta'frail ofthe ship and the turnbuclrle 526 'betweent'he lorward'ring 22 and themast-band 57 mast 24. i

The after mounting of the wires is preferably fixed in relation to thetaifrail of the ship but the suspension of the spar 2() is such as topermit the spar to swing or tilt or vibrate relative to the ship andthus to remain level or substantially level as the ship rolls. Tofurther support the forward spar, guy wires or ropes 58 and 60 extendingfrom or near the top7 of the mast 2d to the opposite ends of the spar.The guy wires or ropes 58 and (5() may be tautened by .means of turnbuckles 62 and Gel, or suitable tackle.

The apparatus is such that it may be suspended above turrets 66 or otherstructures on the deck of a ship and thus not interfere with the usualgunfire. The cables may also be easily and quickly detached and liftedout of position. For this purpose, the ring encircling the l2 may bedismounted from its anchorage to or near the talfrail of the ship andthen brought forwardly and upwardly, the cables being readily dismountedfrom the hooks 18 and also from the hooks 26 on the spar 20, the wiresor cables being thus brought into a compact strand and may be readilystored.

.as the apparatus is of a very simple and of comparatively lightconstruction it may be made of suihcient strength to meet all conditionsof operation without bringing 1t to a troublesome weight. As the cablescom prised in the apparatus offer no substantial resistance to the airthrough which they move, they create no objectionable currents or eddiesand as they are mounted above the eddies and currents that may becreated by the ship or other mounting' base, a quiet atmosphere isprovided for the landing` of the aeroplane.

llhe apparatus constructed as above described, which, when inclined asby the rolling of a ship, causes an aeroplane in level iiight when firstengaging the nest of wires or cables to assume a position in theirplane, and so "effectively insure engagement.

As changes of construction could be made within the scope of myinvention, it is intended that all the matter contained in the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. An aerial landing harp for aeroplanes comprising a unitary hammockshaped device consisting of a series of cables, each of said cablesbeing secured at their respective ends to single elements, means forsupporting and spacing said cables one from the other situated near theforward and rear ends thereof respectively, means on said supports toengage and hold the cables, the cable engaging means on the forwardsupport being spaced at greater intervals than the cable engaging meanson the after support, the engaged cables diverging from said after tosaid forward support, and means for anchoringthe respective ends of theIharp to lined supports to hold the harp in suspension.

2. An aerial landing harp for aeroplanes comprising a unitary hammockshaped device consisting of a series of cables, each of said cablesbeing secured at their respec tive ends to rings, bars for supportingand spacing said cables one from the other situ ated near the forwardand rear ends thereof respectively, hooks on said bars to cngage andhold the cables, the hooks on the forward bar being spaced at greaterintervals than the hooks on the after bar, the engaged cables divergingfrom the after to the forward supporting bar, means for anchoring therespective ends of thc harp to` fined supports to hold the harp insuspension.

3. An aerial landing harp for aeroplanes comprising a unitary hammockshaped device consisting of an after support,I a forward support at ahigher level than said after support, hooks at spaced intervals on saidsup Sorts, the hooks on said forward support ieing spaced at widerintervals than those on said after support, and spaced cables extendingbetween said hooks and diverging and sloping upwardly for the continuousdistance between the after and the forward support.

4. An aerial landing harp for aeroplanes comprising a unitary hammockshaped de-` vice consisting of a fixed after support, a suspended,substantially horizontal, forward support and cables at spaced intervalsex tending from said after to said forward support and diver-gingcontinuously .from said after to said forward support.

5. An aerial landing harp for aeroplanes comprising a unitary hammockshaped device consisting of a fixed after support, a suspended,substantially horizontal, forward support at a higher altitude than saidafter support, and cables at spaced transverse or athwartships intervalsextending from said after to said forward support and diver-gingcontinuously from said after to said forward support.

6. An aerial landing harp for aeroplanes comprising a unitary hammockshaped device consisting of a fixed after support, a suspended,substantially horizontal, forward support at a higher altitude than saidafter support, hooks at regularly spaced intervals on said aftersupport, hooks regularly spaced at wider intervals on said suspendedsupport, and cables extending between said hooks of said after and saidforward sup- Lili Iports and slightly diverging Jfor the foon- Qguidesaid cables, a subtantia'lly horizontally disposed spar suspended fromsaid upright, and a series offhools onsaid spar spacedfat widerintervals than those on said after sup port to hold said wiresslightlydivergiiig .in a forward direction throughout the entire'distance r between the after-'sitipport and the horizontally disposedspar.

8. Anaerial landingharp forfaeroplanes comprising a unitary vhammockshaped -device consisting of a series of cables,` anchored at theirafter ends by 4a common securing means to a base and at their forwardends by a common securingineansto af-mast, a

' horizontal afterthwartship support-for said cables, `a supportingspar, at lthe forward enfcls 4of said/cables, guy wires or ropes-forsaid spar, and spacingtmeans on said after sup- 'port and on saidsparito hold lsaid cable in spaced positions and slightlydiverg'ingifo-rwardly throughout the y entire -distance ibetween the:after support and thespar.

9. An aerialy 'landingl harp Ifor aeroplanes comprising v;a unitaryhammock vshaped device consisting of a series `of spaced, taut, cableseach divenging forwardly-,from the other, yand an aeroplanehavingdepending inwardly curved `hockskto engage Aand d'eflect `any ppair of f nonr-adjacent cables of 1 the series as ysa-id 'areoplanemoves yforwardly thereover andf'thereupon. l

V10. An aerial landing harp foraeroplanes comprising :a unitarylhaha-mock shaped device consisting of a series of spaced cablesstretched slightly out of parallel `with Aeach other between supports,at ixeddistances, and fan aeroplane vhaving means to iengage any pairof non-adjacent `cables of theseries :and compress ,themas it travelslengthwise thereof.

11. Anaeri-al,landingharp dior aeroplan'es comprising a unitaryhammockshaped'device provided with an v.after support, ya forwardsupport, forward yand lafter rings, a

spar immediately vaft of the 4forward ring,

hooks at Lspaced `intervals on said spar and on said after support, andcables stretched between said'rings and held in spaced rela- .tion bythehooks onysaid Yspar jand said after support, the hooks yon said .sparbeing spaced at wider intervalsthanithoseon -said after support.

12. An aerial landing harpfor vaeropla'nes comprisinga unitary vhammocksha-pcd device consisting of anaft-erehorizontal support,-a forwardsupporting mast, Vforward ,and aft rings, a spar4 immediately after of.the forward ring,l:hooksatspaced intervals oul saidspar and on saidafter support, and cables stretched between saidrings andheld in spacedrelation by the hooks on saidspar 'and said .after support, the vhoolrson said. i

spar being spaced kat lwider intervals than Athose on said aftersupport.

13. yaerialllanding harp for ,aeroplanes comprising l.a unitary hammockshaped device consisting cfa series of single .cables Vdiverginjglyspaced for the entire distance .between pair of supports .at `fixeddistances `l-froinea'ch other, and an aeroplane having `nieansvltoengageany pair ,orf `non-adjacent. cables in travelling lengthwisethereon, ,and ,tocreate arearward thrust by deflection of the engagedcables in travelling thereon. V

NEWTON a. Maenner.

